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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    Nick Trotta and Blake Foster are two builders renowned for their savant-like abilities to achieve incredible and intricate angles seamlessly in their builds. Moreover, both have an incredible talent for design on its face, as well as intricate detail work. IMHO, they are two of the best MOC builders out there, and that's no small praise considering just how many really talented MOC builders there are. When it comes to Sci-fi designs, though, these guys stand out. I wish I had just an ounce of their talent.
  2. M'Kyuun
    While sharing our thoughts about the late Gil Gerard of Buck Rogers fame, I thought @electric indigo made an interesting post citing guys like Ralph McQuarrie, Joe Johnston, and Syd Mead, among others for their contributions to sci-fi design. I'm sure there are any number of idea guys at ILM today that come up with designs, and sites like ArtStation exist as a marketplace for such folks. As a huge Sci-fi fan, I'm not only interested in the designs themselves, but the people and the stories behind those creations. I wasn't sure there was a generalized place to talk about that here, so I figured I'd make one. If I'm wrong, Moderators, do your thing. Otherwise, I'm looking forward to the conversation.
  3. M'Kyuun
    POed this guy this morning on Good Smile's JP site. Came to $87.99 USD after shipping. After repeatedly checking with their US site and partner sites (BBTS), no one else had it but AmiAmi, who had it for 10% off, but I couldn't figure out their checkout system- it kept routing me back to inputting my email and password in an endless circle. Fortunately, Good Smile's JP site was much easier to navigate and my PO is secured. Can't wait to get this thing.
  4. M'Kyuun
    My Target had nada as far as new releases. I was surprised to find a few at my local Wally last night. Unfortunately, someone had already snagged Soundwave. Typical. TBH, I'm not over the moon with this new Soundwave, and lesser so with his new cassettes. Ravage was close to good, but they screwed it up by partsforming his tail and rockets. His neck is also more akin to a bulldog's than a lithe panther's. It's like he swallowed an oversized can of tuna and it got lodged in his throat. I'm inclined to think the Siege/Er condors look better in both modes. The only real improvement with the SS86 condors is the more accurate set of weapons and slightly more wing articulation. I can't believe they recycled the shitty Netfix/Siege toy's transformation rather than revisiting the OG G1 toy's superior schema, especially given all new tooling and a leader budget. Like, WTF Takara? Even the LEGO version got that right. Sheesh!
  5. M'Kyuun
    Well, it's definitely on brand for the pilot. Gives it character, but I don't remember it. Had I seen it, it probably would have stayed with me, as it's almost a mech, especially if it could flap or fold its wings. Kinda reminds me of this gem from LEGO Chima, my favorite set out of the whole theme.
  6. M'Kyuun
    I'm not sure what you're referring to, unless the character Hawk had a shop. I vaguely remember the character let alone much else about him. I know the actor who played him, Thom Christopher, passed away in 2024. RIP
  7. M'Kyuun
    Given that ILM, or former members thereof, worked on the models, they shared a lived-in, used aesthetic that gave them a realism never before seen in previous sci-fi, Kubrick's 2001 : A Space Odyssey notwithstanding. Too, I think a lot of ILM's other tricks were used, or copied, to make the motions of the ships look more realistic and dynamic. I don't recall any space fighter scenes from Buck Rogers (I may have missed the eps when they occurred, but I've seen pics of Rogers' ship over the years- it is cool). However, the Viper launch scenes from BSG are forever etched in my memory- happily so.
  8. M'Kyuun
    Sad news. While I never watched it, or much of anything else zealously with any regularity as a kid, I'd tune into Buck Rogers from time to time. Gil Gerard came across as affable and roguishly heroic, a perfect fit for the role. Of course, my eye was usually on Col. Deering, but the show on the whole was fun and inventive, like so much sci-fi from that era. Thanks for the memories, Captain Rogers! RIP
  9. M'Kyuun

    Arcadia VF-5000G

    M'Kyuun replied to daBlah!'s topic in Toys

    That's great for the accomplished kit builders, but some of us lack the the skills to imbue the polish that a finished toy provides. I'm an untalented painter, so I'd rather pay for a finished toy that looks good.
  10. M'Kyuun

    Arcadia VF-5000G

    M'Kyuun replied to daBlah!'s topic in Toys

    I wonder if they and Bandai would ever consider a partnership. Bandai obviously has the finances, and Arcadia has the passion for Macross. If Bandai absorbed them and let them do what they do, that'd be a win for everyone. I appreciate that they were a nice bit of competition for Bandai, but with their offerings coming at a glacial pace these days, I'd prefer to see them come under Bandai's umbrella rather than their becoming insolvent and merely remaining one of the greatest footnotes in Macross toy history. One way or the other, I hope they find a way to produce the VF-5000. I'd rather have the VF-500B in M+ game colors over the G's teal and yellow, but I'd rather have a VF-5000 toy than not, and since Arcadia has had the design lying around since about 2022, they've had plenty of time to tweak it so that if the means to produce it come about, it should be a well-studied design by this point. But I'd also be happy if they licensed or outright sold the design to Bandai; if nothing else, I'd love to have it in HMR scale.
  11. M'Kyuun
    Any word on POs for AotP Swindle?
  12. M'Kyuun
    Stylized stuff is hit and miss for me, but I do like the look of Iron Factory's older stuff. Their latest Samurai-inspired figs don't really do it for me. Unfortunately, they never re-release their figs, as I'd love the chance to pick up some of the older figs I missed out on before I started collecting legends. I thought I'd missed my opportunity to own their Bruticus, but then the Pocket Toys KO version popped up and it was one of those 'holy crap' moments that don't come along too often. As I mentioned, the individual figs aren't without their flaws (some due to IF's designs, some due to molding/other), but after watching a pretty in-depth critique of the OG IF set, and learning that Pocket Toys actually fixed a couple of issues, I'm glad I got them. War Giant looks awesome in all his chonky goodness, and I like the looks of the individual bots as well. As is endemic with their figs, the articulation is lackluster, especially in the arms, but I dig the way they look. It's a nice addition to my small IF collection.
  13. M'Kyuun
    I was recently pondering getting Siyang Culture's legends scaled train bots when a blast from the past popped up: Pocket Toys' KO of the Iron Factory Combaticons/Bruticus. I was still trying to avoid jumping down the legends rabbit hole when these originally came out, and I've harbored a small pang of regret every time pics of it pop up. So when this appeared, and at a decent price (guess it's actually sold even cheaper, but I wasn't aware of that until I'd already bought it), I gave a few minutes consideration before lobbing it into my cart. I didn't end up getting the train bots, though. War Giant Not without its flaws, but it also has its charms. I love the chonkiness of both the individual bots and the final combined mode. What's more, unlike Hasbro's Bruticus, no frame necessary.
  14. M'Kyuun
    Lucky! Not only that you have a local shop that sells the official stuff, and early no less! but that they sell third party stuff. The closest thing I have to that is a little mom and pop collectibles store that happened to get their hands on a local collector's estate sale. I bought FT's Brawn from them. We have a couple vintage toy sellers that also sell current stuff, but they don't deal with any third-party wares, unfortunately. I'd love it if we had a store akin to BBTS here in town. There's always a mark-up, but you also get the instant gratification.
  15. M'Kyuun
    Good to know, thanks!
  16. M'Kyuun
    I bought the Long Haul kit, Long Haul being my fave of the Constructicons. However, I really want those improved arms for Bonecrusher, but without all the other stuff. The detachable shovel upgrade definitely benefits his articulation and aesthetics over the stock model and I was initially excited for it, but I developed reservations that the shovel tab, the only thing keeping it on his chest with the upgrade, would wear out over time and just fall off. That and removing pins is a PITA. Honestly, if I had my druthers, I wish they'd just issue an arms kit with all the arm upgrades and nothing else. I'd buy that in a heartbeat. However, I do kinda like how the Long Haul kit shifts the mass of his legs north on Devy's back and fills in all that empty space behind Hook. I dislike the superfluous butt flap that only serves to make the combiner leg kibble look more trailer-like, but honestly, I don't care. I'd rather it just wasn't there on Devastator. I am a tad concerned, however, pending any reviews, how securely all that back kibble will tab in the upgrade configuration. One thing I'll give Takara, Devy doesn't suffer from a lack of locking points, and that, unfortunately, includes the damnable butt plate, but also relies on the stock configuration for Long Haul's legs. Guess we'll see. Points to Takara's designers for coming up with something as inventive as Quintus Prime. I don't plan on getting him, but I appreciate the imaginative approach to the character's design. While it might be a bit simpler in its overall execution, to create a new alt and have it fit the character is notable. I've not seen most of Earthspark, so I wasn't aware of the character's presence in the toon (I plan to watch it, have started it twice, but quit for one reason or other. I do like it, and I need to just dedicate myself to watching it from start to finish eventually). I looked up the Earthspark version for reference, and I'm impressed by how much of a departure the AotP version is by comparison. Actually, the Earthspark version gives me Kaminoan vibes, especially with the floor-length robe. It's good, I think, that the two versions are visually distinct as befitting the differences in each line's overall aesthetic.
  17. M'Kyuun
    Well, the trickiest bit on the Calibur is the hip extension mechanism for transformation, which one hopes will work well, but also tab securely, at the very least, in robot mode. If the legs use sliders instead of a Combiner Wars trapeze extension mechanism, the hope is that those, too, will work well without degrading or losing friction and just collapsing on themselves over time as any number of OG Transformers did, mostly due to all the die-cast weight they had to support. At least here, the joints are only supporting all-plastic structures and perhaps a metal pin or two (not sure if Moderoid uses them, but I certainly wouldn't fault them for doing so). Still, I think my preference would be for the CW method, but I guess we'll see. I just hope it turns out to be a very high-quality model and a really good representation of a mecha that gets way too little representation in toy form. Moreover, I hope it remains available long enough for me to get my mitts on a copy. I have a feeling this will be a good seller given the dearth of Dorvack toys and models available.
  18. M'Kyuun
    Bing Videos So cannot wait for this to be available. I've not built a Moderoid kit before, let alone one that's transformable, which by its nature, introduces multiple potential points of failure due to all the internal hinges and such. Any feedback as to the quality of their kits, especially durability, and most certainly as it pertains to transformable models, would be most appreciated. Curious if they'll do Oberan's Gazette next. Ssems a huge missed opportunity not to.
  19. M'Kyuun
    I'm of two minds about that: I appreciate that they went the extra mile to make Brawl and Swindle become both legs and feet and that they actually serve the purpose thereof instead of just tacking onto a frame that does all the work. OTOH, it's obvious how foreshortening their vehicle modes to accomplish this detrimentally affected the look of Bruticus by making his legs too short relative to the rest of him. It's unfortunate, as I like it when Takara employ their engineering skills, but something about the finished product here should have given pause. I'm sure the upgrade kit makers will be working on solutions, but that very necessity, and the ever-increasing prices thereof, sticks somewhat in the craw.
  20. M'Kyuun
    Onslaught and Sideways POs are up on Pulse.
  21. M'Kyuun
    Aside from that unsightly arm kibble, Swindle looks good. Very much loving these AotP Combaticons, although I wish they'd managed Vortex's arm kibble better. Of all of them, I'd say he's the weakest, and he's still much better than CW Vortex, at least insofar as G1 accuracy is concerned. I imagine there'll be several solutions at hand to fix Bruticus', erm, shortcomings, but otherwise, he's not shaping up too badly either. I do wish, however, that in this instance they'd abandoned the frame system for the arms and engineered the bots themselves to take on the roles they're supposed to occupy rather than just be relegated to accoutrement. As for how Takara approached the legs, in practice, I don't mind that there's a small bit of framework to help with strength, as the leg bots are doing a fair chunk of the work, as they should. This, IMHO, is a good compromise, and if they're going to continue to rely on a frame system, I'd rather see them embrace a minimalist frame over what they did with Menasor or Superion, where the combiner bots aren't even necessary to form the gestalt. At that point, the combiner bots become superfluous, as they're little more than decoration, and that's not what I want in a combiner.
  22. M'Kyuun
    Yeah, he definitely suffers from ape arms syndrome. Taller legs would've evened out the proportions. Huge thanks, Mike!
  23. M'Kyuun
    PO time is Greatly appreciated, as no one else seems willing or able to provide it. My appt ran long, but I was trying to keep abreast via my phone bouncing between here and the TFW Bruticus thread. So tomorrow. If they hold to precedent, it'll be 1300 PST, but I'll keep checking in to see if you get any clarification. Regarding Swindle, despite the blurriness, he looks alright. Considering he has to match Brawl, at least in terms of length to form the other leg, a little extra length on the jeep mode is acceptable. While I could also live without the winch, it's apparently a cartoon touch, and unfortunately, Hasbro's leaning ever more into the toon.
  24. M'Kyuun
    While the walking actions are a still a bit janky, everything else about these Robosen figures astounds continually. Never imagined I'd ever see anything this sophisticated regarding Transformers in my lifetime, but I'm glad I'm here to see it. They're a bit on the pricey side, and rather large besides, so I don't own any, but I enjoy them vicariously. I'm curious if this will accommodate MMC's full sized cassettes? If Robosen was able to make their own fully self-converting cassettes, that would truly be next level. I'd consider picking up Ravage if they made him.
  25. M'Kyuun
    I didn't even notice it. Yeah, if you leave Vortex's tail halves splayed open per instructions, his head is exposed. You can't see it from looking straight on, but from that angle, it's clearly visible. I keep the tail halves closed on my copy. It's not a perfect figure, but for the size, it's quite solid and well-articulated, especially for a gestalt. Unlike the Taka-bro version, no frame required- the bots serve as the limbs, as they should. It doesn't hurt that it's pretty much all plastic, and so much easier on the joints over the long run. I prefer that over die-cast heavy figs that become weak and floppy over time. Too, at legends scale, it delivers, for me, an excellent set of Combaticons and, IMHO, a great-looking Bruticus at space friendly scale compared to both Hasbro's and especially MP scales. I hope at some point (I may have to check about now that it comes to mind) for a toy-version legs and chest-piece set to convert him over. I'm not crazy about the toon look of Bruticus, especially that shuttle-like chest.
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